Last week, BYD and the City of Lancaster announced the launch of two BYD manufacturing facilities in Lancaster. BYD is a China-based company focused on the production of rechargeable batteries, electric and hybrid vehicles, and other green energy technologies. It’s new electric bus manufacturing facility and Iron-Phosphate energy module (large-scale battery) manufacturing facility will begin operation within the coming months.
The manufacturing facilities may in part be aimed at earning US clients with local production requirements, such as in BYD’s new contract with the City of Long Beach. The facilities are to be owned and operated by BYD Motors Inc, which is a Los Angeles-based subsidiary of the Chinese firm BYD Company Ltd (1211.HKE). BYD is short for Build Your Dreams.
Lancaster is the city that recently set a requirement for solar power on every new home.
“We truly are making history,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris.
The City of Lancaster is honored to play host to BYD, a first-rate firm known around the globe as a leader in battery and sustainable energy technologies. Our community looks forward to working hand-in-hand with BYD as they develop and perfect their e-bus and energy storage technology right here in Lancaster. The opening of not one, but two manufacturing facilities will provide local workers with hundreds of jobs as BYD expands its operations here in the United States, and also represents a significant investment into our local economy and in California.
This cemented the concept in my mind that BYD must be part of Lancaster’s future. Their developing technologies dovetail perfectly with our community’s sustainable energy goals, while also providing stable green jobs for local residents.
Lancaster also happened to be where KB Home and SunPower recently celebrated their 1,000th solar home customer, bringing an estimated $1 million or so a year in annual electricity savings to these homeowners.